Learning As They Go First Day Of Classes At Lehigh Valley's First Charter School Goes Smoothly, But There Are Bumps Yet To Smooth Out At Roberto Clemente In Allentown. Allentown

September 07, 2000|By KATIE WANG, The Morning Call

Amanda Soto paused briefly at the foot of the steps leading to the Roberto Clemente Charter School and motioned toward the school's glass doors.

"This is the worst time," she said. "When you get ready to enter the school and you're wearing a uniform."

With that, Soto climbed the steps and entered the Lehigh Valley's first charter school, which opened its doors Wednesday morning to 100 students with little fanfare but lots of nerves and energy. The school's first day passed routinely with the normal glitches found at any school's first day -- students in the wrong classrooms, a stubborn sixth-grader who refused to enter his homeroom and spilled milk in the cafeteria.

"You are all a part of history today," said Agustin Garcia, president of the Clemente school board, at a morning assembly. "You are the first charter school in Allentown."

Most students were oblivious to the significance of their new school, which targets at-risk Latino youths and is part of a national movement to reform American schools. There are more than 1,700 charter schools nationwide, including 66 in Pennsylvania. They are publicly funded on a per-pupil basis, drawing funds from the districts -- in this case Allentown -- that they live in.

The rest of the Allentown School District also returned to school Wednesday.

Although the Clemente school was up and running, there are still details -- such as transportation, uniforms and lockers -- that will take weeks to iron out. The school managed to snag $35,000 for a shiny new bus stamped with the number 21 to represent Clemente's baseball jersey number, but it will not be in commission for another two weeks until the school's two drivers earn the proper licenses.

The school also is waiting for its lockers, which are expected to arrive in six to eight weeks, said Principal Claudio Cerullo. Clemente officials have borrowed another $21,000 to pay for a portion of the bus and the lockers.

And part of the girl's uniforms, the subject of much discussion, could arrive as late as October because they missed an ordering deadline. Instead of wearing the green plaid, pleated skirts their parents selected, the girls wore navy blue skirts that rested at the middle of their calves. They also are required to wear white blouses and blue ties.

"We shouldn't have to wear (the skirts ) all long like a nun," complained ninth-grader Yesmin Hernandez.

"It's embarrassing to walk through the street in this uniform," said Xiomara Gonzalez.

Soto was also self-conscious about her uniform as she walked several blocks from her home to the school at 136 S. Fourth Street. She tugged uncomfortably at the bow tie around her neck and glared at her mother when she complimented Soto on her appearance.

During her walk to school, she said her goal this year is to get straight A's.

"I know it's hard, but these are the years that count for college," Soto said.

This is the third school that the 14-year-old has attended in her educational career, which includes public and parochial schools. She said she wanted to attend Clemente because she excels in smaller classrooms. In the morning, Soto and the other ninth-graders worked on writing samples in English teacher Ramona Neidig's homeroom.

In the back of the room, Hernandez and Gonzalez complained about being sedentary for so long. The two girls are accustomed to switching classes at their previous schools and were restless from sitting in the narrow classroom all morning.

The Clemente school, which is in the Hispanic American Organization's building, doesn't allow for much breathing room, yet officials plan to add 11th and 12th grades in the next two years. This year, the school is only open for students in grades six to 10.

The cafeteria doubles as an auditorium, and weekly gym classes will be held at the nearby St. John's Lutheran Church. Officials also are still working on getting extracurricular activities, with hopes of starting a yearbook, baseball team and choir this year.

The quest for the Clemente school began two years ago, after some Latino parents and leaders complained their children's needs were not being served by Allentown schools. The Latino dropout rate is 2.5 times the rate for blacks and 3.5 times the rate for white non-Hispanics, according to National Center for Education Statistics. It hovers between 30 percent to 35 percent nationwide and 6.9 percent in Allentown schools.

Named after the late Pittsburg Pirates' Hall of Fame baseball legend, the school is supposed to instill pride in Latino culture. Students learn in Spanish and English and a Puerto Rican flag stands next to the American flag in the cafeteria.

Although the school's population is largely Hispanic, the school is open to all. It also places heavy weight on parental involvement, requiring parents to sign a contract of volunteer commitment and they cannot miss more than two PTA meetings yearly.

One parent, Rosa Diaz, found herself unexpectedly at the school for most of the day, trying to coax her 10-year-old son, Angel, into going to class. In the morning, Angel smushed his face against the wall, refusing to enter the sixth-grade homeroom despite efforts by Cerullo and Lupe Pearce, the school's chief administrative officer. Cerullo called in Diaz, who was also unsuccessful at convincing Angel to go into the classroom.

"It's very frustrating," Diaz said, adding that her son had the same problem at Raub Middle School.

At the end of the day, the first thing that Soto did was unfasten the bow tie from her neck. She was undecided about how she felt about the school, but her friend Emelina Marten wasn't.